The present invention relates to wireless computer input devices, and in particular to keyboards using Bluetooth™ wireless technology.
Microsoft has recently released a combination wireless keyboard and mouse using Bluetooth™ technology, which communicates with a wireless hub. The hub connects to the computer via a cable to the USB port of the computer.
Logitech, the assignee of the present application, makes a cordless keyboard and mouse using 27 mHz radio transmissions to a wireless hub connected to a USB receiver, connected to the computer.
A number of keyboards incorporate a small LCD display, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,029. A keyboard with a flat panel display is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,483.
A number of patents disclose providing indicators on a keyboard for notification of an e-mail message, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,232 and 6,088,516.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,977 discloses a calculator integrated with a keyboard with a send key for sending the data on the calculator to an application on the computer.
Separately from keyboard, numerous remote control devices exist which have a display and keys. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,377 illustrates a hand-held remote with an LCD display.